U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released results from its first round of toxicity testing for eight oil dispersants this week.

After BP’s report that it was unable to find a dispersant that is less toxic than Corexit 9500 – the dispersant that is being used in the Gulf of Mexico – the agency decided to conduct independent toxicity tests to investigate alternatives.

The study examined the impact of the eight dispersants on aquatic species that are particularly sensitive to toxins. It found that, when the dispersant is unmixed with oil, none of the tested dispersants displayed biologically significant endocrine disrupting activity and that the dispersants generally have the same impact on the aquatic species.

Additional testing will study the impact of dispersants mixed with oil on aquatic life.

In response to an April 9th, 2009 appeals court decision that found that pesticide discharges to U.S. waters are pollutants, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a new permit requirement that would decrease the amount of pesticides discharged to U.S. federal waters.

The EPA released the proposed permit today for public comment. It was developed in collaboration with states. The permit would require all operators to prevent leaks and spills, calibrate equipment, monitor for and report adverse incidents, and reduce pesticide discharges by using the lowest effective amount of pesticide.

Additional controls, such as integrated pest management practices, are built into the permit for operators who exceed an annual treatment area threshold.

The agency’s draft permit does not cover terrestrial applications to control pests on agricultural crops or forest floors. It does cover mosquito and other flying insect pest control; aquatic weed and algae control; aquatic nuisance animal control; and forest canopy pest control.

California’s Brown Opens Up the Monterey Shale Starting January 15 -
It has been a terrible year for environmentalists. Anti-environmental interests had huge wins in the Congressional midterms. State legislatures became even more entrenched. Republicans, who now control Congressional funding, will challenge relentlessly the EPA.
So if a line in the sand is to be drawn, it will be by the handful of politicians who control blue states. The most important of » read more

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Environment

On DCBureau are a story and timeline about the history of the Clean Water Act and the efforts to undermine it. Together they show an incremental, well-funded, organized campaign to weaken the law. On the 40th Anniversary of the Act, it is important to remember that environmental laws enjoyed bipartisan support for years. Weakening environmental regulations through the Congress and courts will have lasting, irreversible results.
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National Security

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